Feasibility of rehabilitation using the single-joint hybrid assistive limb to facilitate early recovery following total knee arthroplasty: A pilot study

We aimed to evaluate the feasibility of robot-assisted rehabilitation in an early postoperative setting to improve knee mobility following total knee arthroplasty (TKA). A total of 20 patients were alternatively assigned to robotassisted rehabilitation (n = 10; all women) or a control group (n = 10; 2 men and 8 women). The use of a single-joint hybrid assistive limb (HAL-SJ) in active assistive knee exercise was performed for the robot-assisted rehabilitation group while the control patients underwent conventional active assistive knee exercise. We measured the extension lag (defined as the difference between active and passive range of knee extension). We also evaluated the visual analog scale score (VAS) during active movements and active assistive movement. Concerning the extension lag, the robot-assisted rehabilitation group showed 89.4% ± 15.7% improvement (p < 0.01) while the control group showed 34.8% ± 32.1% improvement (p = 0.016). As to the VAS, the robot-assisted rehabilitation group showed 40.7% ± 23.5% improvement while the control group showed 20.4% ± 25.8% improvement (p < 0.01). The use of HAL-SJ may facilitate early recovery from knee surgery and prevent long-term complications such as quadriceps arthrogenic muscle inhibition.     

A statistical analysis of ‘rule‐out’ diagnoses in outpatient health insurance claims in Japan

Background As each clinical procedure must be justified by a corresponding diagnosis in Japanese health insurance claim (HIC), unconfirmed diagnoses marked as rule‐out diagnoses will be written on an HIC. However, little is known about the statistical profiles of such rule‐out diagnoses. Objectives To illustrate the basic statistical profiles of rule‐out diagnoses. Methods We analysed all the diagnoses on 169 622 outpatient HICs in May 2006 from corporate health insurance societies. The proportions of additional diagnoses and rule‐out diagnoses in each of the major disease categories defined by the Classification of Diseases for the use of Social Insurance, which is based on the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems 10th Revision were calculated. Results There were 442 010 diagnoses on the HICs, of which 96 253 (21.8%) were principal diagnoses and 345 757 (78.2%) were additional diagnoses. Of the principal diagnoses, 1022 (1.1%) were rule‐out diagnoses. Of the additional diagnoses, 19 308 (5.6%) were rule‐out diagnoses. The percentage of rule‐out diagnoses in the additional diagnosis category was significantly higher than that in the principal diagnosis category. Among the major disease categories, neoplasms showed the highest percentage of rule‐out diagnoses for both principal diagnosis and additional diagnosis. Conclusions The existence of rule‐out diagnoses affects the results of statistics based on HIC data. Japanese statistics based on HIC data should be improved by utilizing the information on rule‐out diagnoses.     

Hybrid Assistive Limb (HAL) Rehabilitation in Patients with Acute Hemorrhagic Stroke

The efficacy of hybrid assistive limb (HAL) rehabilitation in the acute phase of stroke remains unclear. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the outcomes of patients with acute intracranial hemorrhage (ICH) who were treated with or without HAL rehabilitation. Among 270 patients with acute ICH from 2009 to 2014, 91 patients with supratentorial ICH were included in this retrospective study. Of these, 14 patients (HAL group) received HAL rehabilitation at approximately 1 week after ICH occurrence, while the remaining 77 patients received usual rehabilitation without HAL (N-HAL group). We obtained various patient data from the hospitals where the patients were moved to for further rehabilitation. Statistical comparisons were performed for the characteristics of the ICH patients, and outcomes between the HAL and N-HAL groups. There were no differences in outcomes between the HAL and N-HAL groups. However, patients with right ICH in the HAL group exhibited a significant association with a functional independence measure (FIM) score of ≥ 110 compared with patients in the N-HAL group (HAL group: 81.8%, N-HAL group: 43.9%, P = 0.04). In patients with right ICH, HAL rehabilitation was associated with improved outcomes as evaluated by the FIM score. Thus, HAL rehabilitation may improve outcomes of acute ICH in appropriately selected patients.     

Does low workplace social capital have detrimental effect on workers' health?

While the majority of studies of social capital and health have focused on conceptualizing social capital at the geographic level, evidence remains sparse on workplace social capital. We examined the association between workplace social capital and health status among Japanese private sector employees in a cross-sectional study. By employing a two-stage stratified random sampling procedure, 1147 employees were identified from 46 companies in Okayama in 2007. Workplace social capital was measured based on two components; trust and reciprocity. Company-level social capital was based on aggregating employee responses and calculating the proportion of workers reporting mistrust and lack of reciprocity. Multilevel logistic regression analysis was conducted using Markov Chain Monte Carlo methods to explore whether individual- and company-level mistrust and lack of reciprocity were associated with poor self-rated health. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% credible intervals (CIs) for poor health were obtained for each variable. Workers reporting individual-level mistrust and lack of reciprocity had approximately double the odds of poor health even after controlling for sex, age, occupation, educational attainment, smoking, alcohol use, physical activity, body mass index, and chronic diseases. While we found some suggestion of a contextual association between company-level mistrust and poor health, no association was found between company-level lack of reciprocity and health. Despite the thorough examination of cross-level interaction terms between company-level social capital and individual characteristics, no clear patterns were observed. Individual perceptions of mistrust and lack of reciprocity at work have adverse effects on self-rated health among Japanese workers. Although the present study possibly suggests the contextual effect of workplace mistrust on workers' health, the contextual effect of workplace lack of reciprocity was not supported.     

Spontaneous major tendon ruptures in patients receiving long-term hemodialysis.

Seven spontaneous ruptures of major tendons in five patients receiving long-term hemodialysis were reviewed between June 1990 and May 2000. The average age of the two men and the three women was 51.4 years. The average period of hemodialysis was 11 years. The etiology, pathologic focus, frequency, symptoms, problems, and operative indications were examined. Reconstruction using Leeds-Keio artificial tendons provided excellent results in all patients but one. Hyperparathyroidism existed in all patients. Local amyloid depositions were not found in any of the patients. In all patients, the ruptured site was not in the tendon but at the tendon attachment to the bone, which was smooth and completely free from tendon tissue. Thus, the most likely etiology of tendon ruptures in patients receiving hemodialysis was thought to be the fragility of the bone at the tendon attachment attributable to secondary hyperparathyroidism. To prevent this complication, control of hyperparathyroidism may be important, especially in active young patients.     

Risk of arterial thrombosis in patients with anticardiolipin antibodies and lupus anticoagulant

The relationship between arterial or venous thrombosis and the levels of anticardiolipin antibodies (aCL) and/or existence of lupus anticoagulant (LA) was studied. The 141 patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) were divided into four groups: aCL single positive (25 cases), LA single positive (11 cases), aCL and LA double positive (25 cases), aCL and LA double negative (80 cases). The prevalence of thrombosis was higher in aCL and LA double positive patients (21/25 cases, 84.0%, P  < 0.01) than that in aCL single positive patients (4/25 cases, 16.0%), LA single positive patients (1/11 cases, 9.1%) and double negative patients (3/80 cases, 3.8%). Furthermore, in these double positive patients, all patients (10/10 cases) with a high positive level of aCL (>10 units/ml) had arterial thrombosis, whereas only 2/15 patients (13.3%) with a low positive level of aCL (3–10 units/ml) were affected. Venous thrombosis was frequently found in the low positive group (9/15 cases, 60.0%). On the contrary, none of 105 LA negative patients had arterial thrombosis and only seven (6.7%) had venous thrombosis. These findings indicate that a high aCL activity combined with a LA positive result might be a risk factor for arterial thrombosis.     

Bone metabolic markers in bone metastases

The efficacy and cost/performance benefit of radionuclide bone scintigraphy in monitoring metastatic bone activity remain controversial. Recently developed bone metabolic markers are expected to play an additional role in the diagnosis of bone metastasis. We measured osteoclastic and osteoblastic markers in 267 patients with breast cancer (100 with bone metastasis), 38 patients with prostatic cancer (25 with bone metastasis), 50 patients with lung cancer (12 with bone metastasis) and 33 patients with miscellaneous cancers (13 with bone metastasis) and compared the values in the presence and absence of bone metastasis. Bone metabolic markers, both osteoclastic and osteoblastic, increased significantly in patients with bone metastasis. In breast cancer (bone metastasis is mostly of the mixed type), osteoclastic markers were good in detecting bone metastasis. In prostatic cancer (bone metastasis is mostly osteoblastic), osteoclastic and osteoblastic markers were equally effective in detecting bone metastasis. In lung cancer (bone metastasis is mostly osteolytic), osteoclastic markers were elevated preferentially in bone metastasis. Over all, osteoclastic markers were more sensitive in the diagnosis of bone metastasis, and among osteoclastic markers, serum pyridionoline-cross-linked carboxyterminal telopeptide was the most efficient in both specificity (91.0%) and sensitivity (48.6%) for detecting bone metastasis.     

Perforation of jejunum induced by the deployment of a temporary prophylactic pancreatic stent in the patient with peritonitis carcinomatosa

A great deal of medical literature describes the efficacy and safety of the prophylactic pancreatic stent in reducing the incidence of post-endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (post-ERCP) pancreatitis. At the moment, no serious complication due to the migration of this stent has been reported. We describe a case with perforation of jejunum induced by the migration of a temporary prophylactic pancreatic stent. This report indicates that we should pay attention to this severe complication when we place a temporary prophylactic pancreatic stent in patients who have peritonitis carcinomatosa or adherence of the intestine irrespective of oral intake.